For the last week or so I’ve been volunteering for the obama campaign locally – I’m a registered independent, not a democrat, but I think obama’s a far better candidate so I’m supporting him. Anyway, I’ve been going door to door with other people encouraging them to vote early and helping them get absentee ballots and what have you, and I realized something about why the two parties are the way that they are, at least in terms of strategy and message. It was maybe my second or third day canvassing (often doing the same neighborhoods the next day to get the houses where no one was home) that it occurred to me there’s nobody going around with a clip board for romney.

This might not be a big deal but I live in ohio, perhaps the single most competed for swing state, and millions of doors are being knocked on. I’d think I would see at least one person. So I asked about it at the local campaign office (one of like 3 within walking distance of my apartment) and they said they know of only one republican election office in the area. The more I thought about it it makes sense, the two people republicans usually try to get support from are rural social conservatives (which can’t go door to door for reasons of practicality) and in the cities, “fiscal conservatives” who are often just well to do people who want more tax cuts. So are CEOs and bank managers going to go bang on doors for romney? I think not. I looked on their campaign sites and the romney campaign has 38 locations in ohio, the obama campaign has 123 locations.

So democrats who generally talk about actual policy and run on substance are having volunteers go door to door encouraging people to vote and support their guy, but republicans can’t do that, so they have to make sure people vote by either pissing them off or scaring them with a barrage of negative ads (conveniently delivered at minimal expense by the evil socialized postal service). That’s why it’s always democrats are the anti-christ and will bring another 9/11 or make two men kiss in front of your children or some boogy man the sky is falling BS. They can’t make sure people who support them vote any other way. Meanwhile the obama campaign is renting vans to make sure grandma can get to her polling place or the board of elections.

21 Responses to Insights From Volunteering For The Obama Campaign.

Good for you for volunteering. Today Ryan was once again asked for details of their economic plan. This has go to be the 100th+ times Ryan and Romney have been asked for details on their economic plan. Ryan answered, there are 3 things the American people need to know….We will not raise taxes on the middle class. We will not raise taxes on the rich. We will lower the deficit. But that’s the thing. They refuse to say how and Ryan doesn’t believe the American people have the right to know how they will make this work? We don’t need to know what benefits will be cut from our lives? We know they cannot lower the deficit by lowering taxes so where to the deficit reductions come from? In fact they want to spend more on the military in spite of the fact the Pentagon does not want more money and for the sake of true national security has requested cuts. Without stating cuts Romney and Ryan would make they add as it stands $5 trillion to the deficit and we know Ryan voted for every deficit increasing bill the Bush administration put forth which is why our economy collapsed but Ryan doesn’t believe the American people deserve to know what cuts they plan to make.

Thank you for volunteering !!! In CA, they are having phone-calling parties 2-3 times a week — unfortunately, I’ve not been able to join them, but it’s this type of grass-roots participation that helps get it done!

It’s funny because I went to my saved page to look up where I can vote early…on Obama’s site… and now it’s gone. Says Sorry, we don’t have any info. I know where it is and will get there hopefully tomorrow, but I just wonder if someone hacked into the site.

@TheSutraDude – did you see the saturday night live spoof they did on the first debate? no disrespect, but it was funny. The guy who played Romney never blinked, which was creepy and he had a 20 point plan. Got to find some humor in all this, but I’m glad to see that our boy bounced back.

@hesacontradiction – In cases like that I know I can rely on the League of Women Voters. Did you try their web site? I downloaded the sample ballot with all six state proposals. I will be picking them over from now until election day. And after that there are the county proposals . . .

I just had this discussion with a friend. He was trying to give me some information to help me become an educated voter this year=]“That’s why it’s always democrats are the anti-christ and will bring another 9/11 or make two men kiss in front of your children or some boogy man the sky is falling BS.”I asked him, as a Christian (he is voting Obama), does all the anti-Christ talk, muslim… crap effect you? He said, absolutely not. Its fear mongering. And it hit me – much of Christianity is based on fear as motivation for our actions – why would it be different in political efforts towards Christians?

FYI: you can get paid to canvass if you work for the Obama headquarters in your area, or organizations like Grassroots Campaigns, Inc. I know some kids who canvassed for Grassroots Campaigns, and because they were good, they made about 20 bucks an hour. Not too shabby.

@TheSutraDude – They’re just trying to lie their way into the white house like every republican presidential candidate in my lifetime.@vexations – Thanks : )@slmret – Yeah, I made calls today for like 45 minutes before I went out canvassing (I was early). About broke my neck when the stair to someone’s deck broke and spun out from under me. Huuuuuurt.@flapper_femme_fatale – This helps too.@hesacontradiction – It could be because of redistricting or maybe they just don’t have the info. I’d send a message to the tech support contact whatever and let them know about it.@hesacontradiction – Didn’t see it, but might look it up.@xXrEMmUsXx – True. Ironically most christians I know are wracked by anxiety and bounce from one existential crisis to the next. I never have existential crises and I only worry or feel bad about something bad that’s in front of me. It’s the same with fearing death, I don’t think I’ve met an atheist who is afraid of death itself (as in being dead or mortal, not the actual experience of an untimely demise), but most religious folk seem to be. I think maybe skepticism just helps you work through stuff.@UTRow1 – I’m volunteering I don’t think anybody’s getting paid except the people who actually work for the campaign. Thanks for the link though, and grassroots campaigns incorporated – that is hilarious. I guess the irony is lost on them.

republicans can’t do that, so they have to make sure people vote by either pissing them off or scaring them with a barrage of negative ads (conveniently delivered at minimal expense by the evil socialized postal service).It will not help in this election but the postal service is becoming assinine and will probably not exist in a few years. By the next election UPS and fedex will be the only forms of mailing service. 🙂 so it will be 10 times as expensive for the repubicans.

Sunday at 2pm – that’s when I start working for the Obama campaign in my town. I don’t know what to expect. I hesitated this long because personally I would be somewhat offended if someone came to my door and thought a brief conversation could gain my vote. I don’t make important decisions like that, so it’s hard for me to imagine others making them that way. But I’m told people like getting visited, and like talking about the candidates with strangers who knocked on their door. I guess I’ll know soon. Are most people receptive to your visits?

@slmret – I will try.@Amandascowen – And everyone else. I hope that doesn’t happen, despite what it would mean for the republicans (which can just focus on radio, tv etc anyway). And is publishing a no go?@ItsWhatEyeKnow – We don’t knock on the door of anyone we know is a republican, our job isn’t really to change minds (except in the case of indepedents or people who are leaning one way or another and it’s mostly just giving them pamphlets and what have you). If someone has a romney/ryan sign we just mark them off the list, we’re not supposed to confront people with strong differing views. It’s mainly about encouraging people who support the president or dems or have in the past to vote early to make sure they don’t forget to vote. We knock on doors on a list, not every door. But yeah, kudos for volunteering : )